Peonies – a Perennial Garden Favorite
Peonies are my favorite perennial flowers, just a notch above roses for cut flowers. They are very easy to grow and once established can tolerate long periods without rain. In addition, unlike many other varieties flowers, they are very resistant to disease.
Peonies have been one of the first perennials to populate American gardens because their large, showy flowers and scented product in mid-spring. Peonies can be single, semi-double or double and are generally 6-8 inches wide. A mature plant can have more than a hundred flowers and they can be up to 10 inches or more in diameter. The flowers ranging in color crimson, scarlet, various shades of pink, pure white. There are also new and hybrid tree peonies with yellow or purple flowers.
Most gardeners are familiar with large, double-flowered peonies. Garden peonies are also available in a single flower, semi-double, Japanese, and anemone-like flowers. Double-flowered forms are often heavy, up to the weight of the flowers they are looking at the ground and sometimes even break off stem. These to me are the most spectacular, but must be staked so that the flower stem is not damaged. Tree peonies also come, simple forms a semi-double and double flowers, and the color range includes all the colors of the rainbow-except for blue. Single flowered varieties seem to do better than double in the shade. Semi-doubles have multiple rows of petals around a cluster of yellow stamens. For many years these hybrids large double flowers dominated the market for cut flowers, and were the most popular choices for creating gardens.
Peonies have not been readily available in nurseries until recently and even now it is not easy to find beyond generic pink, white, red or unnamed varieties. But a variety of peonies available. You can have a scout on what is available locally and fill with guys more interesting, unusual on the part of the order. Peonies come in two varieties of trees and grasses. The Chinese have about 1,000 varieties of tree peonies and herbaceous peonies 400 varieties. The English also tinkered with peonies and introduced nearly 300 varieties by the late 19th century. By planting early, midseason and late varieties, you can measure your peony blooms for most of the summer.
Probably the hardest part of growing peonies, like many other perennials is the time it takes to put in place in your garden. The Most do not produce many flowers until the second or third year and should not be cut for indoor use up the third year. Are generally not cut flowers from plants less than three years and mature plants of five years or more should be left around 50% of its flowers intact. You should, however, remove the fading flowers and dead to prevent seed development that uses the food supply.
Soil should be well drained and excess moisture can lead to the development of fungus. Peonies thrive in sunny spots tolerate a wide range of soil types. Best growth is in the soil with a pH of about 6. Well drained, loamy soil is best for good growth peonies. Peonies are heavy feeding and do not like being moved, it is important to make sure they are planted in good, fertile soil. Peonies also tolerate drought, but do not expect to produce and store food while the soil is dry.
Once peonies are well established, we can notice the abundance of ants on the buds of each year. The ants are attracted to peonies because of the sweet nectar then they produce a bud. The presence of ants on peony blossoms is neither beneficial nor harmful to the plant.
Autumn is Best time to move peonies (if you must) when they are dormant. Autumn is also the best time to divide when swollen, red buds are clearly visible. Planting, transplanting and dividing peonies can also be done in spring when soil is workable. Fall planted divisions have had several weeks of growth before the ground freezes, do better next year than those who had less time to develop new roots.
Because the winter cold is necessary for dormancy, peonies do not function well in the subtropics. In cold climates, those with an average temperature below -20 degrees F, winter mulching may be necessary in the absence of snow cover. In preparation for the first winter, they must have a light layer of mulch to prevent frost heaving cons. If a very cold winter and kills the top growth of a tree peony, cut the dead wood in the spring. Mostly Peonies do not need winter protection, mulch but may be necessary in a very small number cold areas.
Planting
Dig a hole 12-18 inches deep and 12 cm wide. Place the peony in the prepared hole for the eyes – small, red buds are one to two inches below the soil surface. Never cover the eyes of more than a few centimeters of soil. Apply fertilizer complete low-nitrogen, such as 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 at the rate of two to three pounds per 100 square feet in the spring when the stems are about 2 or 3 inches high. Pour a game behind the plant (less visible) and use stakes to support the larger varieties, especially the double peonies. In the fall, after a hard frost, remove and destroy the stems of garden peonies to 3 cm from the surface to eliminate the possibility of disease fungal winter.
Take time to look for high quality peonies, prepare your soil, plant and enjoy years of fresh flowers color. As I moved, mostly to mid-America, I started my new residences peonies often, always with much success. Even without additional treatments described above, generally will be a good measure of success. Although without doubt one of the most robust and easy perennials, peonies are most revered for their beauty.
About the Author
Robert Schpok is an avid gardener who has used his gardening skills to greatly enhance his culinary techniques and ability to create great new recipes. Gain valuable gardening insight and make cooking fun at his newest site Got-Eats.
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